In-Depth Bible Study Notes for Acts 2:4-13: Some Notes About Speaking in Tongues

by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden

In-Depth Bible Study Notes for Acts 2:4-13: Some Notes About Speaking in Tongues

I recently taught a Bible study covering the book the Acts of the Apostles. I used my mother's Ryrie Study Bible to provide the basic outline of the Bible study.

{Before reading this passage, ask the reader to pause at each proper name so that we can find the place on the map(s)}  Read Acts 2:4-13.  In this particular case, the tongues being spoken are actual languages, unknown to the speakers, but understood by the hearers.  We are given a long list of all the different countries and languages represented by the Jews celebrating the Pentecost Festival.  Notice that also "proselytes" or "converts" are mentioned.  These are Gentiles who have converted to Judaism; apparently this wasn't as rare as one would expect.  The Pharisees, we know, were active in seeking converts.  Read Matthew 23:15.

The gift of tongues (also called glossolalia) was particularly relevant here where people of so many different nationalities and languages were gathered.  It would have been a dramatic, earth shaking way to catch their attention and open up their hearts to hear what God had to say.  The purpose of the gift here, clearly, was for the unbeliever. 

Mel Tari's church also experiences a similar tongues gifting, and just like in Acts, known languages were spoken, and it became a witness for the unbelievers who came because of the signs of fire and the noise.  {Read "Like a Mighty Wind", pp. 26, "The two pastors in front were so scared..." to pp. 27 "... there was more than one thousand in our church that night from all over town."}

For a Christian to speak in a language that he or she doesn't know but someone else (a native speaker) recognizes is not all that uncommon.  I could probably share numerous examples, but will just read two more, out of a different book.  { Read "They Speak with Other Tongues" by John L. Sherrill, pp. 107 }  In all these cases, it appears clear that the gift of tongues was giving as a witness for people in the congregation.   

There is a lot of debate and controversy surrounding tongues.  I believe that there are different kinds of tongues and that some kinds of tongues are private, to be used in personal prayer and worship, to build up the individual.  I call this one's "personal prayer language."  Sometimes, when you are praying, you can't find the words to express what is going on inside or perhaps you don't know why you need to pray.  I think this is a fulfillment of Romans 8:26-27.  The Holy Spirit knows what needs to be said, so He takes over and does the speaking for me.  The tongues we have mentioned in Acts 2 and in my examples from the two contemporary books so far are clearly of the public kind, for building up the church.  For examples of this private kind, I'll read a passage from Billy Graham's book on the Holy Spirit.  { Read example of personal prayer tongues from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 481 }   

I do not consider myself an expert on tongues and what exactly the Holy Spirit Baptism is, so I have decided to "cheat" by summarizing and quoting material on the subject from a theologian I greatly admire, Billy Graham.  He is also a man that Christians from all denominations respect and trust, so I would tend to feel what he has to say has merit.  He does not speak in tongues, but most would agree he is a "spirit-filled" man and has a great reverence for what the Bible says.  { Read Not an expert from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 482 }

Firstly, Billy Graham believes that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs during conversion, that is, when the believer accepts Christ.  { Read Baptism with the Holy Spirit happens at conversion from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 367-368 }

There is disagreement about this.  { Read Tongues is the expected sign, for some from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 369 }

These different opinions, Billy Graham believes, could primarily just be semantics and that there is more unity within the Church among the different denominations than is sometimes demonstrated.  { Read Semantics from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 369-370 }

So what does Billy Graham think about tongues?  He tells a story describing how there are probably three sources of tongues.  {Read Three sources of tongues from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 481-482}

As one would expect, he presents the Biblical data we, as believers, have about tongues.  Tongues (or glossolalia) is mentioned only in Acts and 1 Corinthians.  As I've already hinted at, the word seems to be used in two different ways.  The first way we've already discussed, the tongues of Pentecost.  After describing what happens at Pentecost (which included the believers being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues), he takes a short side trip to give examples in the Bible where the term "filled with the Holy Spirit" is used, but not associated with speaking in tongues.  Read Luke 1:14-15.  We have no record that John the Baptist ever spoke in tongues. Read Acts 4:8.  Peter preaches, he does not speak in tongues.   Read Act 9:17-19.  There is no mention of Paul (formerly Saul) spoke in tongues at this time.  We also have an example of where tongues came upon a group of people, but the words used to describe the Spirit's actions were different.  Read Acts 19:6.  Here the "Spirit came upon them" not "they were filled with the Spirit."   

Billy Graham describes what happened at Pentecost as a "divine miracle", something specially designed and presented by God as a way to reach the thousands of unbelievers present.  He notes in another passage (I forgot to footnote it!) that there is no mention of the 3,000 people who repent and come to Christ after Peter's first sermon spoke in tongues, only that they were baptized.  Read Acts 2:41. 

The tongues mentioned in 1 Corinthians appears to be a different kind of tongues than the tongues seen at Pentecost.  Read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 27-31.

From this passage we can pull out some facts and make some logical assumptions:  1) Tongues is a gift.  2) Not everyone receives all the spiritual gifts. 3) One can be filled with the Spirit and not speak in tongues.  4) There is an interpretation gift, which implies these tongues are not known human languages.

Billy Graham goes on to give a series of observations (some warnings) about tongues.  I've tried to pull out only those which we have not already discussed or touched on. 

He could not find any Biblical basis to support the view that tongues were meant only for the New Testament time and therefore not a valid gift for today.

Tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, not a fruit of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23.  Gifts are distributed to believers at God's hand; all believers should seek the fruits.  No one is a "second rate" Christian because he or she doesn't have a particular spiritual gift.

Tongues is clearly one of the least important gifts of the Spirit and can not be seen as a sign of spiritual maturity.

Corrie Ten Boom spoke in tongues, but she never talked about it or discussed it and in fact rebuked others who focused too much on the subject.

Christians from a wide range of denominations, both Pentecostal and non, speak or have spoken in tongues (including Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, and Roman Catholics).  This confirms this is a gift of the Spirit.

The gift of tongues can easily be abused and lead to the following dangers:

Spiritual pride; a sense of superiority over non-tongue speakers

Divisiveness in the church; trying to force one's views (either pro or con) onto others in the Body, rather than accepting other's differences in love.

Imbalance; tongues becomes the focus of one's spiritual life and other gifts (and more importantly) and/or fruits of the Spirit are forgotten.  A tongue obsessed person may forget about leading others to Christ or living a holy life and put all his energy into convincing others he must speak in tongues to grow in the Lord.

See a tongue experience as a short cut to spiritual power and maturity.  { Read Shortcut from "The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit", pp. 489 }

Counterfeits; there are documented cases of demon-possessed people being able to speak in other human languages, not familiar to the person possessed.  Also, because of peer pressure, immature Christians might "fake" tongues by speaking in a language they know, but is unfamiliar to their peers, in order to be accepted. 

To be continued...

Sources
Graham, Billy.  The Collected Works of Billy Graham:  The Holy Spirit
Sherrill, John L. They Speak with Other Tongues
Tari, Mel.  Like a Mighty Wind
Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible.  NIV Version

Written by Gail_Sanders

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